


Book 1: Empire of Fire and Lightning

by Notorious_PAT



Series: Dragon Empress: The Legend of Azula [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Azula (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Azula (Avatar)-centric, Canon Compliant, Crazy Azula (Avatar), Criminal Masterminds, Emotional Hurt, F/F, Fix-It of Sorts, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Organized Crime, Self-Discovery, Self-Doubt, Self-Hatred, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29124837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notorious_PAT/pseuds/Notorious_PAT
Summary: "You stand in the presence of Empress Azula, first of her name. Rightful heir to the throne of the Fire Lord. Rightful ruler of the Fire Nation. The Seed of Sozin. The Prodigy with Blue Fire. The Mother of the Kemurikage. Leader of the Fire Warriors. Founder of the Red Lotus. The Faceless Demon. The Puppetmaster. The Dragon Empress. Ruler of all she surveys."Princess Azula stands in 102 AG a free and sane woman. She has her loyal partner Zirin and what remains of the Kemurikage and Fire Warriors. This story, broken down into three books and 40+ chapters, will seek to tell you the story of the Dragon Empress.[Post-comics Azula redemption. It gets MUCH worse before it ever remotely gets better. Buckle up for a long ride, slow burn, soul searching, and angst. So much angst. Azula/Zirin for a while, but Tyzula is the endgame folks. Tyzula: friends to enemies to lovers. This story will span the rest of Azula's natural life so be prepared for time skips and glossing over important things]
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Azula/Zirin (Avatar)
Series: Dragon Empress: The Legend of Azula [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137077
Comments: 33
Kudos: 46





	1. Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dragon Empress is born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Now I'm the villain in your history. Love and be loved. Read… and review!

**Legacy**

Flying through the sky, the wind whipping in her face, a small girl with dark, black hair and bright, golden eyes rides a dragon into battle. She holds up her mighty sword and commands her partner to bank downward. Her magnificent beast lands on the battlefield. She disembarks and gracefully approaches her enemy, a young boy in a blue mask.

She twirls the sword in her hands for a moment. Stepping away from her monster, her opponent mirrors her steps as they circle one another. She dawns a large grin and chides him, "I remember who I am! I am the Dragon Emperor! And there's only one way that this ends."

"You will not succeed!" He shouts back. "I shall put you back in your place!"

The two children charge at one another, wooden swords swinging wildly through the air. They attempt to parry each other's blows but the heavy wood is too much for their little arms. They feebly wave them at one another, but tire out quickly. The boy turns and tries to flee, his feet pushing through the sand. His younger sister gives chase and after a few feet he tries to turn and face her. Bodies crash into one another as she can't stop her forward momentum and they fall together onto the beach.

Pushing up and off of him she complains, "Zuzu, you shouldn't have stopped!"

"I was trying to turn and sword fight you, Azula!"

She stands up over him and dusts herself off. Dropping the wooden sword she reaches a hand down to offer to him. It's not much help, she's too small and scrawny to really pull him up, but Zuko takes it anyway. They stand in front of each other under the glow of the moonlight. The waves of the ocean at Ember Island crash to provide the sound. Walking a few paces back of them within eyesight are their parents, quietly and ideally discussing this year's rendition of the show.

Zuko whines, "Why do you always get to be the Dragon Emperor? You're not even a boy."

"Because I'm the better fighter! So I'm more deserving!"

"Nu-uh!"

"I am the Dragon Emperor," she proudly proclaims to the moon and sea. Azula stands with both arms raised and faces the water. "And you are just my little puppet!"

"No way, Azula! I want to be the Dragon Emperor," he replies as he playfully pushes her out of her victorious pose. "You can be the Dragon Empress instead."

Azula turns back to her brother as he walks forward and yells at him, "Eww, no Zuzu, you dummy! The Dragon Emperor and Empress got _married_."

He spins back to his sister and shouts, "That's not what I meant Azula! I just meant we would be a great team."

He crosses his arms and huffs as he walks forward. Azula feet churn through the sand and she steps to follow after him. "Oh yes, Zuzu, we would be the most powerful duo in the world!"

Zuko walks along the water, picking up seashells and tossing them back into the ocean as they go. Azula mimics her older brother, grabbing other ones and throwing them too. After a few moments of silence, she finally declares, "I hate the Dragon Empress."

Zuko turns his torso to the side to peer out at her with his left eye. "Why?"

Azula picks up a shell and launches it with her full force. "She has all this power, but she just hides it away."

Zuko tries to reason with her, "She wanted Noren to love her for herself, not because of her power."

Azula stares out across the moonlit ocean. She hears Zuzu's answer, but she does not accept it. She rejects this prospect, telling him, "If I ever had power like her, I wouldn't hide any of it."

Zuko looks at his sister, staring with such seriousness. For a moment he is drawn in by her confidence and charisma. He wants to agree with her, but they are but children, so instead he finds the whole thing very silly. "You're so weird, Azula."

She spins her head at him and scowls. "Not as weird as you!"

She sticks her tongue out at him. He sticks his own back out at her and they face off, their heads getting closer and their eyes narrowing at each other. Finally, Azula raises her wooden sword up again towards him and shouts, "How dare you insult the Dragon Empress!"

The sound of wood smacking echoes across the beachside. The children parry the blows two more times before their little arms get tired again. Once more, one of them runs off and the other gives chase. They run off through the sand, headed home, their adoring parents lagging behind, practically fading away in the dark of night.

* * *

A chorus of clicking noises fills the air. It is a loud, buzzing song that pulsates rapidly. The sound stirs up across numerous insects of the same variety, all singing together. A pleasant orchestra signifying summer and warm days. The girl at the bench reaches up and adjusts her matted black hair. She sits within the shade of an overhead tree, taking in the world around her. She is free and unafraid. Her jaded golden eyes trace down to her hands. She holds the smallest ration of bread she could rip off.

Her eyes look up at the overcast sky and feels the heat permeating through her clothing. It sticks to her skin in places, giving her no comfort. The weather has offered no respite to them in their journey. She is daydreaming again about sword fights on Ember Island; about seeing _Love Amongst the Dragons_ with her parents. She dreams of her family and what once was, and what could never be again.

Absentmindedly she lifts her ration of bread and nibbles on it. She's found over the last month that if she eats it slowly she thinks she enjoys it more. For the former royalty, it is all about valuing what precious resources they have among them. She had once lived in decadence, now she savors the scraps she has left.

"Azula," a voice comes to her. She turns to the brunette a few feet from her. "Someone's asked for you."

She scowls at her right hand woman. Her brow furrows as she replies, "Soldiers?"

"No, he's," she starts, her voice filled with apprehension. "A local fisherman."

The former Crown Princess rises from her seat beneath a tree. She steps through the shadowy woodland towards her friend. Her voice is charged, her tone serious. Her golden eyes burn into the dark eyes of the girl she approaches. "What the spirits is this, Zirin? Some kind of trap?"

"No, Azula. I promise," she flinches slightly as Azula stops in front of her. Zirin's hands grip her pants, awaiting the next words, anticipating more accusations of disloyalty. "He came to us arms raised, we searched him, and he just _knew_ you were here somehow."

Azula peers over the teen's shoulder towards the rest of their group. She clicks her tongue as she thinks. Her eyes return to the dark ones in front of her, awaiting her next commandment. Azula purses her lips and then calmly says, "Be prepared to subdue him. We can't know if he was followed."

"Of course." The girl quickly breathes out.

The leader cranes her neck to spot a disheveled, tan man through the gaps in the forest and her girls. Her mind calculates what this could be about and how he found them. She dawns a wry smile as a thought comes to her.

"Introduce me." She directs her subordinate.

"Ma'am?" Zirin asks, confusion and concern spiking.

"He already knows I'm here. He found us somehow. If he was sent by my brother, well, we might as well relish our last moments of freedom."

The girl nods in understanding. She turns on spot and leads her towards the invader.

* * *

Azula stops and stands as graciously as she can given the conditions. Her hair sticking to the back of her neck, she folds her arms in front of her. Zirin wipes her brow, standing a few feet back and to Azula's right. The remaining dozen girls stand in a semicircle, blocking escape.

The man before her is short and stout. He has a long, brown goatee and hair that almost comes down to his shoulders. He is just as humid as the young girls all around them, and at least twice their age. His clothes are ragged and ripped. His eyes dance about, but they always come back to the golden eyed leader of this pack of teenagers.

Zirin projects her voice to the gathering, "I am introducing Princess Azula. Bow before her."

The older man, seemingly surprised by this, does a double-take before bowing his head slightly. He quickly raises his head and returns his gaze to the Princess. Zirin had meant for him to bow to the ground, or at least kneel. She is mad at herself and worries that Azula will be more mad. Yet Azula is unconcerned. She takes stock of the man and quietly prepares her questions.

After a moment of pause Zirin cuts through the silence, "And who are you?"

Once again the man does a double-take, this time looking at Zirin like it's his first time seeing her. He stutters out, "Oh, apologies. Uh, well, my name is Lin."

"How did you find us?" Zirin starts by asking him.

He scoffs at this. He looks at the golden eyed beauty and says, "The world is far too small for a woman like Princess Azula to simply disappear."

After a brief pause to look around he adds, "No matter how deep she chooses to sink."

"What business do you have here, _Lin_?" Zirin questions him.

He turns his full attention to the brunette now as he accepts that Azula won't be addressing him. "I heard the rumors and wanted to come talk to her myself."

" _What_ rumors?" Zirin demands.

He peaks at the young girls around him, then back to the second-in-command. "That a bunch of young girls were starving up in the woods near Jingchan," he starts. This draws some low murmurs and whispers among the girls around him. Uneasily, Zirin leans back on the balls of her feet, sweat beads dripping down her forehead. "Being led by a Firebender who dispatches anyone who gets too close."

He pauses a moment and his eyes turn to her. He says, "Being led by our former Crown Princess, Azula."

Zirin keeps hoping that Azula will step in and talk. Every second she doesn't weighs on her. She ventures onward, "Then you must know you'll be the next to be dispatched by us."

Realizing that they have taken his intrusion as an act of aggression, Lin quickly raises his hands in surrender. "No, no! That's not necessary. I don't come to bring you trouble."

"Then what do you bring?" Zirin asks him, her tone accusatory and doubting. She too now folds her arms in front of her.

He places his hands back down slowly and answers, "I come to ask your help."

Tilting her head to the side, Zirin's eyes quickly flash to Azula. She only looks at the back of her head before returning to Lin. She asks him, "And what exactly is it you need help with?"

Lin motions with his hands passively as he explains, "I am a fisherman off the coast of the Baochou Village. I've lived there most of my life. Last week some raiders and thieves sacked us. They stole my boat."

He allows a pregnant pause, expecting sympathy or condolences to be shared. When none are he awkwardly laughs and adds, "Not much work for a fisherman to get done without a boat."

Again, no one entertains him with pleasantries. No one chuckles or forces themself to laugh. The girls all around him stare with violent intentions. They are ready and prepared to immobilize him, if given even the slightest indication from their leader.

Zirin asks him, "Why us?"

He smiles at this, feeling the answer obvious. "Local authorities are too scared to do anything, nor are they very keen on the idea of revenge fueled vengeance. But you all operate outside the law."

Azula finally speaks, "Why should we help you?"

Lin finally turns back to her. He grimaces and offers, "Because it's the right thing to do?"

Azula doesn't even blink. No one is moved by this comment. They are hungry, desperate, and hot. Lin realizes that this answer won't suffice. He adds, "And I'll provide you transport whenever you should need it."

"That's hardly helpful for 'a bunch of girls starving up in the woods.'"

Lin nods his head in understanding. "I can feed you all with some of my remaining stock."

The girls all around once again begin whispering their excitement to one another. Even Zirin can't help but smile at the thought of fresh fish. She can't remember the last time she'd had a warm meal. Azula, however, narrows her eyes. She ends the fervor by saying, "It'll cost you more than some leftover fish."

Lin softly chuckles to himself and looks around him. He returns his green eyes to looking at Azula, "Well, I can't pay you. They took everything from me. Just feeding you all would clean me out of my remaining inventory."

The Fire Warriors are uneasy about this standoff. In Zirin's opinion, they should take the meal and make the deal. Yet Azula is in charge and she presses on, "You said yourself that these raiders and thieves cleaned out your entire village. We have 13 girls, only some of whom can firebend. You expect me to risk their lives _and_ our freedom, for what? Some fish and a free boat ride whenever we need it? Hmm? We're taking on far more risk to help, and you don't seem to be offering anything of real value."

Previously swept up in the moment of a fresh meal, the young girls all around are now seeing what Azula sees. They grow agitated that this older man would so readily put them in harm's way for his own gain. He looks around and feels the walls closing in. What's more, he sees his opportunity disappearing. He had feared this may happen, but he came prepared.

"Princess Azula, I believe you should do it because there is more to life than getting paid."

"Is that so, Lin? Perhaps then you should go home yourself and do something else beside fishing. Do anything you please, seeing as there's more to life than getting paid."

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. He sees what she is saying but she's missing the point. "What I mean is that by doing this you can gain something far more valuable than money."

Genuinely curious now, Azula asks him, "How's that?"

Lin steps forward now. Confidently he tells her, "If you make yourself more than just a girl. If you devote yourself to an ideal, and if _they_ can't stop you, then you become something else entirely."

Narrowing her eyes only slightly Azula asks, "And what is that?"

"Legend, Azula. A lasting legacy in your name."

He delivers this with reverence. His eyes, Zirin's eyes, the twenty-four eyes of the Fire Warriors, all turn and fall upon the young girl. She stands tall and proud. She peers down at Lin from a standing position above him. She takes what he has said and turns it over in her mind. In a flash she is transported back to the moonlit oceanside. She remembers the play and her parents and her brother. She remembers arguing with Zuzu.

_"If I ever had power like her, I wouldn't hide any of it."_

Azula is the most powerful Firebender on Earth. She has the Fire Warriors and the Kemurikage at her command. She should not be hiding her power away in the woods, nibbling on stale bread to savor its taste. She always imagined herself flying a dragon, carrying a powerful sword, being this incredible warrior and leader. Charging forward bravely into the face of danger to bring glory and honor to the Fire Nation and the world.

Lin has stirred something deep within Azula. She nods her head at last in agreement, the smile curling on her lips. She shakes her head, "Not in my name."

Lin looks at her confused. Azula says, "I shall be the Dragon Empress."

The group of girls collectively nod their heads in equal parts wonder and agreement. Even Lin, with so many more years than them and more mature, recognizes that this specific moment is bigger than him.

Azula tilts her head and tells him, "We will help you. For the food and your services. We shall take back what was stolen from you."

Lin nods his head and recalls what Zirin had told him to start. He bows his head and bends one knee. He kneels before the Dragon Empress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello! First and foremost, thank you so much for taking the time to read my silly little fic. I truly hope you decide to take the time to leave a comment, or review, or give kudos, or favorite, or bookmark this story. I hope you like it enough to do those things and I love to engage with the readers whenever they come in!
> 
> My first A/N and my last A/N are the only times I really leave any thoughts. I've learned from my peers and inspirations that less is more.
> 
> Unlike with "Touch of the Sun," this entire story has *not* been completely written already. I asked some people on my twt if I should post this story as I progress through writing it, or save it all to post when it's done being written. Overwhelming majority wanted it to be posted as I write it this time. So the good news is that you don't have to wait so long to get new content from me. Bad news is you are officially at the whim of my personal life and when I feel like writing. So no more updates on Sun/Wedn/Fri, instead they'll be sporadic and spaced out.
> 
> My story summary told you this already, but I do have a full outline, very detailed, of what I'll be doing in this whole story from start to finish. It's going to end up being 40ish chapters, it will be spread across 3 separate books, and we are going to cover *the entirety* of Azula's natural life. You read that right. Her whole natural life after she, Zirin, and the Fire Warriors / Kemurikage faded into the ether at the end of the "Smoke and Shadows" comics.
> 
> My last two major works I had very clear inspirations and stories that I drew from. This one I don't have a direct inspo. Instead, I read the raw deal that our girl got after the canon comics and I said, "Okay, how do I fix this?" So that's what I'm trying to do here. This is my most ambitious story undertaking ever (40+ chapters!) and I'm very excited & very scared (so much writing!).
> 
> Book 1 will consist of many chapters similar to this one in length. Likely very short and to the point. We will have the most chapters in Book 1. Book 2 will have less chapters, but longer. Book 3 will have only a few chapters, but they will likely all be pretty long (5K+ words each probably, and at least a few closer to 10K probably).
> 
> I am covering Azula's entire life. The good, the bad, the ugly. It's going to get so much worse before it gets better. We are going to stick close to canon, but not entirely. There will be major character deaths in all 3 books I believe. I am a Tyzula Writer and that will be included, but right now, in canon, Ty Lee is still afraid of Azula. There will be some Azula+Zirin, but the endgame is Tyzula. I'll be doing a 'childhood friends to enemies to friends to lovers' arc for Tyzula (atla twt ppl are always begging for this storyline so here's y'all's juice). It's going to be a long ride, slow burns, soul searching, angst, and watching as the red string of destiny intertwines itself throughout Azula's life. There will be massive time skips at various points. I'll be skipping or glossing over major events while Azula is busy doing other things. Sorry I'm not sorry.
> 
> On my fandom twt I have a thread tracking my every waking thought as I write this fic so if you want to see some additional nonsense regarding this fic, check me out at Gonzo_the_GOAT.
> 
> On a separate note, I have created an Official Soundtrack (OST) for this story. These are songs that I chose for a myriad of reasons. They emotionally align with the story, they remind me of things I was thinking about as I wrote it, they are songs I listened to for inspiration as I worked on this story for the last few months. I will be updating my bio whenever I remember to do so with the chapter, song+artist. This chapter's OST is "Flaws" by Daughter.
> 
> Most of these end A/Ns from here on out will just be that chapter's OST. Again, I appreciate all comments, reviews, likes, and kudos, or what have you. Thank you so much for your time!
> 
> Love always. Tyzula forever.
> 
> Notorious


	2. The Mother of the Kemurikage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula denies motherhood. Zuko holds a meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Now I'm the villain in your history. Love and be loved. Read… and review!

**The Mother of the Kemurikage**

"One last time, Azula, can we go over the plan?"

A young girl with ginger hair and soft lilac eyes raises a shaky hand-blade up to her leader. She feels sweat slipping down the side of her face from the intense heat. They are shrouded by the shady trees, but it simply delays the beating of the sun. She pulls the long, flowing black hair back and lifts the blade up with jittery hands, riddled with self-doubt. One wrong snip, one accidental slice and she could kill the woman sitting in front of her. The idea is paralyzing to her.

"Ruki," she calmly speaks her name. "If your hands shake because you're nervous, it'll only be worse."

The golden eyed girl tilts her head back and peaks at her young ward. After holding the eye contact for a moment Ruki nods her head. She steadies her hand. She moves forward and cuts the hair with confidence.

"That's better." The leader coos at her.

"Azula, hello?" The brunette with a single, braided ponytail says. "I asked to go over the plan again."

"Oh Zirin, calm down. We know the plan."

"Forgive me for being worried about how this will go, given all that we're risking."

"It's simple," Azula explains as Ruki pulls her head back and slices at different angles to cut the hair. "Eight of us infiltrate in disguise, five secure the perimeter of the village in case things get out of hand. We never expose ourselves or use the Kemurikage title, that way no one suspects a thing. We steal the boat back and sink any others so they don't realize it's retaliation solely for Lin. Assuming all goes according to plan, we meet the rest of the girls on the far side of the island and ride back to Baochou."

"And the other girls won't be using their bending, right?" Ruki asks from behind her.

"That's correct." Azula confirms.

"None of you will? Not even you?" Zirin questions.

Azula nods her head quickly and only slightly, so as to not disrupt the work that Ruki is doing. Zirin ponders another query, "So why not send _just_ non-benders like me and Ruki? Why risk sending any benders in at all? We could use the benders to secure the perimeter."

"We need an emergency plan in case things go sideways inside the village."

"But we're not 'attacking' the village?"

"We'll terrorize them."

"But not harm?"

"Exactly."

"Because they aren't the raiders or thieves?"

"Yes."

"But they might be." Zirin counters.

"Guess we won't find out."

"Azula-"

"This isn't up for debate, Zirin." She commands.

All this time Ruki continues to work and slice. She does her best to get close, but ultimately she lacks the precision, skills, and necessary tools. Azula can sense the tension from all of the verbal fencing. She mentally traces her own thoughts on the matter and quickly tries to wrap them into something inspirational.

"The Dragon Empress is meant to help those in need, Zirin," she starts and then then pauses. "In this case, _we_ are the ones in need. _Lin_ is in need. We will take from others to better those of us in need. The people who hold positions of power over us, they will feel our fire. We will kindle them from below by inflaming the rage of the masses in need, and by the time they realize what we've done, it will be too late."

Ruki finishes cutting her hair and sits back. Zirin stands safely under a tree a few feet away. Azula's gold eyes stare out into space. Her followers watch her with reverence.

"Like a forest on fire, girls. They will think they can escape. They will try to put us out. But our numbers, the great people of the Fire Nation that we will inspire, will envelope them."

There is a pause. All three girls imagine it, albeit in different ways and with slightly different outcomes. They all see the same end goal though: Azula upon the throne. Finally Zirin speaks, "Ruki, can you give us a moment?"

The redhead quickly stands, bows, and walks away, back through the wooded area, to where the other girls awaited for her to come and cut their hair as well. When she is beyond earshot, Azula turns and looks right at the brunette and asks, "It's a glorious thought, isn't it? Watching them burn."

Zirin approaches her leader and stands before the sitting Empress. She weighs her words carefully. She says, "I follow you because I chose to, Azula. But I think we have more in common than you realize."

"How do you mean?"

Tilting her head to the side, Zirin says, "I didn't receive much warmth from my family growing up. It was not mine to have."

Zirin flashes back to a house that allowed no swearing. No acting out. No little girls with mental issues.

"No real parents."

She is reminded of her father leaving and never coming back. A mother who couldn't understand her.

"No support."

She recalls her first days at the institution. No one took the time to listen.

"No one who told me everything would be okay or help make sense of my pain."

Unconsciously she hugs herself, remembering the restricted feeling of the straight jacket.

"No one told me that they loved me."

The pain of being alone.

"I watched from afar as they shared that warmth with others."

She watched as her "normal" siblings received the attention and hugs that she never did. She comes out of her daze and stares at the woman in front of her.

"And I think you had a similar experience."

Azula doesn't respond. She gives no verbal or nonverbal cue to tell Zirin if she's correct. She simply lets her follower wonder. Zirin continues, "That's why it's so good to imagine them burning. I would burn them all down so I could finally feel their warmth."

Azula nods. She understands now. Zirin had come up from nothing. Azula was born in a palace. Zirin is just another one of her zealots. Azula is the Dragon Empress. They came from completely different worlds, but in a way they had lived the same experience. In any event, they had both ended up in that institution together.

"But those other girls?" Zirin says, gesturing towards where Ruki had walked towards. "You're _their_ mother now, Azula."

Azula blinks back at Zirin, incredulous. "They look to you like a parent because it's the closest that they have ever had. They've never had someone that _loves_ them."

"A parent, Zirin? Surely this is a joke of some sorts."

"It's not. For them, it's you. Someone to make the monsters go away. To keep them safe in the dark," she says kneeling before Azula. They are face to face. The gold of Azula's eyes search the dark of Zirin's. They are an endless expanse that she gets lost in. " _I_ don't see you like that, but they do."

Azula quickly stands and strides away. She thinks about what Zirin has told her and what to make of it. What her girls think of her. She admits, "You're right, Zirin. I too had very little warmth from my life givers. I'd kill my own father if I saw him now. And my own mother walked out on me, and then replaced me."

Zirin stands and stares at the back of the Dragon Empress. Azula finishes her thought.

"I won't be that for anyone else."

* * *

The gathering clouds nearly block out all light from the moon. Insects and animals all around the village sing the lullaby of nightly slumber. The tiny village upon Shinzong Island is humming with the sounds of a humid, summer night. Only but a select few of their inhabitants are still awake. Most are tucked away in bed, dreaming of a better life and better days ahead.

High up above the sleeping dreamers are a dozen girls who dare to dream of their own better lives. They stand behind their master, who watches over the village, a porcelain mask resting on her head. The group is on a hill with an unobstructed view of the entire layout of the small, seaside community. The heavens groan with a build up of static. A rain that has been a longtime coming. The leader lowers the mask to block her face. Without needing another word, seven others behind her do the same.

"Remember: No bending."

* * *

The night air is filled with the shrill screeches of townsfolk. Men, women, and children run for their lives, driving themselves into dead ends in the darkness, never being sure where the specters will appear next. Under the cover of darkness, spirits infiltrated their homeland and now walk among them. Parents grip their children tightly, fearing that the ghost stories they have told and been told, have come to haunt them.

Not all of them run in fear though. Instead, a few brave men steal themselves and try to fight the ghosts. Finding them to not be translucent, but instead fully formed, they attempt to physically attack them. Their efforts are met with expert reactions and precise blows. The men fall and fear that they will join the dead, for all the dead lie down.

On the outskirts of the village, there is a small dock for watercrafts. There are a row of buildings that stand on the edge of that water. Up above the gathering clouds darken. A distant rumbling sound can be heard. While several of their townsfolk run for hiding, two grown men run to protect precious cargo. They dash inside one of the rundown warehouses, careful to not make too much noise but desperate to move quickly. They peak inside of the door. Straining their eyes in the darkness one of them spots the outline of a pair of the monsters terrorizing their town. They do a silent countdown together, then burst forth through the doorway, brandishing lead pipes.

Quietly trying to find keys in the darkness, the unsuspecting young girls barely have time to put their arms up in a defensive position before they are smacked by the weapons. They collapse onto the ground and their assailants are upon them. They subdue them and the girls screech muffled cries into the ground. No one hears them out in the boondocks of the village, and if they did they would only assume they were under duress from the monsters that they purported to be. The grown men remove the masks and toss them along the ground.

"What on Earth?" The older one with a goatee asks.

The younger, more muscular one adds, "They're just little boys?"

"Let us go!" One of the captives demands, voice strained.

"What are you doing here? What is this about?"

"I said let us go!"

"Hey now, are we sure you're boys?" The younger man says, running a hand through the short hair. He keeps one arm and knee on the back of his prisoner. "You a girl or a boy?"

"Let us up and let's find out." The other captive offers.

The younger man licks his lips and smiles vilely down. He determines it doesn't make a difference "What do you say, Mio? Think it matters if they're boys or girls when they're dead?"

"No, Jing, I don't suppose it will matter," he says, positioning himself. He kneels on their back. He brings his lead pipe to the base of their skull. He raises it up before quipping, "No one's going to miss a couple of thieves in masks!"

From out of the darkness a calm and demanding voice speaks to them, "Let them go."

Mio keeps his weapon raised up but looks around bewildered for the speaker. Jing uses his free hand to get his attention and then point towards the doorway they had come in through. He breathes, "Who the-"

From out of the shadows steps another masked figure. They take deliberate steps and walk towards them with grace. They come to a stop a few feet away, hands resting at their side. Mio commands them, "Don't you take another step or I'll bash your little friends skull in."

Jing reaches and grabs his own lead pipe, keeping his knees on the body of his prisoner, and uses one hand to push their head into the ground, preparing his own killing blow. He looks up at the masked figure and asks with an almost uncontrolled fury in his voice, "Who are you?"

Right outside the building two more girls come to a stop at the scene, just out of sight. Upon registering what's going on, the lilac eyed ginger takes a step forward to help intervene. She is stopped though, as the brunette with a cascading, braided ponytail beside her grabs her arm and pulls her back. Through their masks they make eye contact. After a second, Ruki nods to Zirin in acknowledgement. They will watch from the shadows.

Inside the building, Azula looks down at the girls on the ground. Their heads are painfully positioned in such a way that they look right up at her. Their necks are twisted and the weight on the small of their backs is making it harder to breathe with each passing second. They are maskless and defenseless, with a pleading look in their eyes. They need her. They need someone to make the monsters go away. They need someone to keep them safe in the dark. There is a hope in their eyes like Azula has never seen before. No one has ever looked at her the way the girls do right now.

Azula raises her hands up, palms exposed outwardly towards the men atop her followers. She feels a power ripping through her veins. Calmly, proudly, she tells them, "I'm their Mother."

Faster than a blink of an eye lightning strikes inside of the room. It explodes outwardly from the palms of the girl who has just spoken, and flies in two separate streams towards the men. It misses them, by design, and they duck away for cover instinctively.

"What the spirits!" Jing screams.

"How in Agni?" Mio yells.

Free from the massive body weight upon them, the two girls scramble to get up. They quickly pluck their masks off the ground nearby and put them back on. They cower behind their Mother. She stands before them and the men roll on the ground to face her. Azula notices on her peripheral vision a flickering of the limited light outside. Her girls have found the location. They are converging. High up above the heavens roar with thunder. Lighting strikes outside and briefly lights up the room. Azula smirks.

"Do you hear that?" She asks Mio and Jing. She takes a step towards them. They crawl backwards on the ground away from her, trying to create distance. "There's a storm coming. You and your friends better batten down the hatches."

After hearing this, Zirin and Ruki advance. They slip in through the doorway. From Mio and Jing's point of view they watch as two more of the masked children appear. From behind them another door creaks open and three more slip in the back, now blocking their escape.

"I don't understand?" Mio screams from the ground, delusional. "What do you want with our little village? There's no money here for you to steal!"

Azula stands above both men and comes to a halt. Behind her mask she smiles down at them. She tilts her head to the side and asks, "Oh really? Then why are you people here?"

Her eyes flicker to the fishing boat, docked within view, just outside the building. With a devilish smile she, and all of her Kemurikage, advance.

* * *

A brunette man with unkempt hair and a goatee that is quickly growing into a full blown beard goes about his daily routine. He makes his bed and bathes in some cold water. It is not all together pleasant, but he makes due with his means. His day is going about what he would expect, as he prepares to head down to the center of town to check in with the healers to see how their sick and ill are doing. He thinks of the pretty Ai Zhou, still recovering from her leg injury when the town was attacked. He mentally prepares some quick witted things he could say to try and woo her.

Last thing before leaving, the short and stout man opens his windows. He had closed them overnight when a thunderstorm had swept up the coast and drenched them in much-needed rain. He pushes open the wood panels and when he does he sees the top of a trio of heads coming up the hill towards his home. He stands up more straight, becomes more serious. He wonders what news they will bring. He walks out his door to greet them.

Three teenage girls approach Lin. A brunette, a ginger, and a black haired girl all come to a stop in front of him. He quickly bends his knee and kneels briefly before her, "Good morning, Dragon Empress! I hope your travels were, uh, fruitful?"

Azula holds an emotionless face. She gives him no reaction. She cocks an eyebrow at him and says, "Stand up, Lin."

He does a double take looking up before getting up off of his one knee and standing up straight. "I apologize, Empress, I just thought you'd want-"

"You thought right, but we have business to attend to."

"So the travels _were_ fruitful?"

Azula turns her head to peer at Zirin. She nods her head at the burnette. Zirin replies, "We have secured your boat. It is safe."

"Excellent! I'm so-"

"But we are keeping everything of value that we found on it."

"Oh?"

"Indeed."

"Ah, well, can I keep the fishing lines and other equipment? Some of that will be of great use to me."

Zirin looks to Azula. The Dragon Empress agrees so she nods. Then she narrows her eyes and says, "Lin, you may have noticed that we are lacking in a permanent location."

Lin blinks in confusion. He slowly turns back to look at his shack of a home and then back at the girls in front of him, "Um, well, you are welcome to stay here, but I don't know if it'll fit all of us?"

The soft spoken, fiery violet eyed girl speaks up, "That's not what we mean, Lin."

He looks at Ruki now, more confusion spreading. "Then what _do_ you mean?"

Ruki replies, "We're grateful for the meal you provided us, but we need… _more_."

Lin grows slightly agitated, but more so he grows fearful, "I fed you and have offered my boat for travel whenever you should need it. Now you've taken anything of value from it. What _more_ could you need?"

Ruki puts her foot down, and tilts her head as she says, "It's not _you_ we need more from."

Zirin chimes in, "We need money and infrastructure. A means to put a roof over our own heads, not simply stow away in yours."

Azula finishes, "We need more people in need of our services, Lin."

Each point making it clearer what is being asked, Lin now nods his head in understanding. "Ah. I see. You need more down on their luck fishermen to assist?"

Azula nods. Zirin says, "Fishermen. Blacksmiths. Warlords. Anyone who can give us the things in exchange for our help."

"What about pirates?"

Intrigued, Ruki asks, "Pirates?"

"Indeed, Pirates," Lin confirms. "I heard about it about a month ago when I was near Yu Dao. There are some pirates in the Mo Ce Sea willing to pay a hefty price for some powerful benders to keep them afloat."

"Go on," Zirin implores him.

"It's off the coast of the Wulong Forest, but it's impossible to dock there, the waters are too rocky. So they leave from near the Garsai District. They have water benders for the job, but their pirates, so they have to skirt around the law and other pirates attempting to claim the same prize."

"Prize?"

"I don't know the exact details, but some lost treasure. Lot of people have been looking for it for a while, apparently."

"How much are they paying?" Zirin asks.

"They don't pay anything until the job is done. Their reward is contingent on finding and returning the treasure, so they can't pay if they can't get it. But from what I've heard, they're being funded lucratively through a private source," he says turning his attention to Azula. "There's _a lot_ of money to be made in this."

"I've heard enough," Azula says. "You'll take us to them. We leave at first light tomorrow, in _your_ boat, Lin."

The small man smiles widely at this, "Of course! I have some business out that way anyway that's been delayed due to this situation, so I'll gladly take you."

Beaming and joyous he tells Azula, "I'm forever indebted to you, Empress. I don't know how I'll ever pay you back."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out eventually," Azula replies with a sly smile.

Without another word she turns and walks away. Zirin turns and leaves quickly. Ruki digs into her pocket and produces the keys to his boat. She smiles before turning to follow after her leaders. Lin stares down at the keys in his hand. He looks back up and feels the sun shining warmer upon him. He heads off to see Ai Zhou.

* * *

Rushing to catch up, Zirin demands answers from her Empress. "Azula, how can you be OK with this? _This_ is not what we talked about last night."

"Zirin, this is _exactly_ what we talked about."

"You heard Lin, they don't even know where it is! And we won't be paid _unless_ they find it?" They walk in lockstep. Ruki speedwalks down the hill to catch up. "What if someone's already got it before we even arrive? How do we even know it'll still be there? He heard about this a month ago."

"Have a little faith, Zirin. We'll find it."

"I agree with Azula," Ruki says as she matches their pace.

"Shut it, Ruki."

"Thank you, Ruki."

"Yes, Empress." Ruki says, making a face at Zirin.

"I do love when people call me that. _Empress._ It's very fitting."

"You're dodging the issue, Azula. This could set us back time _and_ not get us any closer to having the money or infrastructure we talked about."

"Zirin, it's perfect. We'll rendezvous with the pirates, help them steal the treasure, then keep that _and_ the money for ourselves."

"We should just kill them while we're at it." Zirin replies coldly.

All of a sudden Azula comes to a stop. She turns and lifts a hand up and grabs Zirin by the collar. She pulls the brunette into her and brings their faces inches apart. She stares into her dark eyes and hisses, "No."

Zirin reaches her hands up. One grabs Azula's wrist around her collar and the other grabs Azula's collar, drawing them even closer. She grunts back, "Why the spirits not?"

Ruki stops and stares at the two girls about to come to blows. She isn't sure if she should intervene or let them fight it out. Ultimately she decides she doesn't want to get in front of an angry Dragon Empress, and decides to keep her hands to herself. Azula burns her golden eyes into the Zirin's black ones. She tells her, "We have _one_ rule. We _do not_ kill. Anyone. It's what separates us."

"That's a half-measure, Azula." Zirin spits back.

"I don't give a damn what it is, Zirin. We are a shadow group. We operate in the dark. We control my brother and the entire Fire Nation from a distance. We don't do that by killing the people we are serving."

"We're going to make enemies on this road, Azula. _Big_ enemies. _Powerful_ enemies. We can't keep them in their place if we have to keep looking over our shoulder for the last person we scorned, who might be coming to get us."

"We'll rob, and beat, and scare anyone and everyone. But we will not kill _anyone_."

"They'll just come after us," Zirin says, a resignation in her voice. She doesn't want to admit it but she knows. "The raiders from last night. The pirates next. If we keep doing all of these half-measures, Azula, eventually one of them will come back to bite us."

Their bodies are pressed together, still gripping one another, and a feverish rage flows through them. Azula, inexplicably, feels something hot in her belly, perhaps lower. She stares at Zirin's lips for reasons she doesn't know why. She feels feelings she isn't familiar with nor knows what to do about. Zirin knows what she feels but doesn't act on it. As the seconds pass she realizes that this will not come to blows or passion. She shakes her head slowly.

"No more half-measures." Zirin demands.

The Dragon Empress shakes her head back.

"No killing anyone." Azula commands.

Azula releases her hold on Zirin and pushes away so that Zirin lets go of her as well. They stare into each other's eyes for another second as Azula steps down the hill and then finally turns her head away. Zirin and Ruki stay in their spot as Azula gets further and further away. Zirin takes shallow breaths. She turns back to Ruki, who is smiling and staring right at her.

"What?" She asks the redhead.

"That was kind of hot."

Zirin groans, "Shut it, Ruki."

* * *

The Fire Lord enters his throne room, flanked by two of his most trusted bodyguards. All those already in the room stand and bow before him. The teenage boy takes his seat amongst his trusted generals and advisors. Meanwhile, the two teenage girls stand together, side by side, off to the side of the room. After nearly two years at this, they are quite familiar with the goings on of the Fire Nation and the politics of this meeting room.

Each general, responsible for a different region of the Fire Nation, gives their reports of any peculiarities. Quietly, just within earshot, the two girls whisper to one another about what is shared and what will impact them and the other Kyoshi Warriors. After delivering a splendid review of the north east region, Suki whispers quietly, "Give it a few more years and I bet Zuko shuts down the Boiling Rock entirely."

Ty Lee smirks at the idea. She whispers back, "Little by little remove support and funding, then just pull the plug when they don't appear to have a purpose anymore."

"Guan will act all furious."

"Like he doesn't already see the writing on the wall."

"Might even say he'll be _boiling_ mad about it."

Ty Lee stifles a laugh, garnering a look from one of the generals sitting closest to the two girls. She stands up straight and looks forward, staring out into space. When the man turn back to Zuko, she whispers, "Sokka really rubbing off on you, I see."

Suki tries not to laugh as she replies, "You could say so."

Zuko projects over the room, "Chan Yu, what report do you have from the Southern region?"

The same man who had just been giving Ty Lee the ice cold stare sits up straight now. "Shinzong Island was attacked last night, Fire Lord. The villagers reported evil spirits in masks. We have reason to believe they were young boys."

Ears perking, Ty Lee whispers to Suki excitedly, perhaps a bit too loudly, "That sounds like Azula."

Agitated at her snickering a moment ago, now furious at her lack of decorum, Chan Yu turns and makes a scene of the Kyoshi Warriors, "Does the help have something they wish to proffer to the council?"

Zuko and all of those at the table turn to look at Ty Lee and Suki. Ty Lee stares dumbfounded at him, unsure of what to say. Suki nudges her into speaking. Tripping over her own words she says, "I, um, I-I, I just, I think it was probably a woman."

Huffing at this, Chan Yu replies for the whole room to hear, "No woman could do what was done to this village."

Ty Lee is instantly enraged by this comment. The audacity and underlying assumption that no _woman_ could do this made her want to quickly step up and put him in his place. Her place in the room, physically and figuratively, kept her against the wall, beside Suki. She does not offer a rebuttal and feels incredibly small. Zuko throws her a lifeline, "Chan Yu, I don't know that I agree."

All heads in the room, in particular Ty Lee and Suki, turn to the Fire Lord. He continues, "Spirits in masks? That sounds exactly like the Kemurikage guise that Azula used in this very Capital just a few months ago. It's possible they could be a copycat. Shinzong isn't far from here, but then again there isn't much travel to and from. It's not exactly a vacation destination for citizens of Caldera City. Perhaps someone heard what Azula had done here and was mimicking it? Or perhaps, as my loyal guard and honored Kyoshi Warrior," Zuko reminds everyone of her place and title, "Ty Lee suggests, perhaps my sister and her followers have migrated to your region right under your nose, Chan Yu."

"No, Firelord," he assures Zuko. "That would not happen under my watch."

"Perhaps," Zuko wonders out loud. "Or perhaps not. If she's down South, I would expect you to find her. Or perhaps you'd need assistance from those Kyoshi Warriors to do so?"

"No sir," he replies. "That will not be necessary because she is not within our ranks. I would have known by now."

Suki and Ty Lee both smirk as Chan Yu sweats. Zuko asks, "When Azula's Kemurikage assaulted Caldera, they tended to use fire whips in their attacks. So, did anyone use any fire whips? Any fire bending at all? Or perhaps anyone with _blue_ fire?"

Chan Yu looks down at his notes from the situation and sees a single word. He will not be shown up by some teenage girls in make up, carrying fans. "No Fire Lord. No fire whips or blue fire. No fire bending was reported at all."

"Hmmm," Zuko muses out loud. "That's disappointing. It seems we have a new problem on our hands if it's not my sister. Please, Chan Yu, investigate further into it and see what you can learn."

"Of course, Fire Lord." Chan Yu replies.

Ty Lee shares Zuko's disappointment. If it was Azula, they'd have a lead on her and could potentially follow up. Chase after her. She thinks, '" _Chase the dragon," as they say.'_ Alas, the psychopath who manipulated and controlled her childhood, who still haunts her dreams and rules her fears, is still in the wind.

As the meeting moves on to the next officer, Chan Yu takes out his quill. He pulls his notes in closer to him and scratches out the word 'lightning?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter's OST is "you should see me in a crown" by Billie Eilish.
> 
> Love always. Tyzula forever.
> 
> Notorious


End file.
